US Durg

Cocaine is a drug that is made from an extract that is removed from the leaves of the Erythroxylon plant or coca bush. The bush is mainly found in Peru and Bolivia and has long been used as a stimulant for both medicinal and recreational purposes. Some may be surprised to know that cocaine is still used by doctors as a local anesthetic, but it has gained its notoriety for its illegal popularity with recreational drug users. Cocaine commonly comes in two forms, hydrochloride salt and freebase.

Continue Reading »

Although Bangladesh continues to be a low prevalence area, it is surrounded by high prevalence countries (High prevalence of HIV/AIDS in neighboring India). We however must not adopt a complacent attitude in respect as our country has all the determinants for an explosive outbreak of HIV/AIDS epidemic. Curses of poverty, illiteracy, ignorance, proximity of Bangladesh to the so-called ‘Golden Triangle’ & high prevalence of STDs, make our country seriously vulnerable. Drug use increases the HIV risk and can start very early-for example, glue-sniffing by youngsters living or working on the streets. The danger of becoming infected with HIV by sharing injecting equipment is well known, and real. Unemployment, slum housing, family fragility, frequent cross-border movement of people, lack of

information, unsafe blood transfusion, physical and sexual abuse-that create a “risk environment” of violence for many young people in the region. In addition increased number of migrant workers, unsafe practice in health service, unsafe sex practice etc. movement of population, less use of condom, polygamy, homosexuality, extra-marital relations, further increases the susceptibility.

Continue Reading »

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is an RNA virus which converts RNA to DNA, which makes it a retrovirus. Retroviruses use single stranded RNA as a template to make double stranded DNA using a viral enzyme. A person who becomes infected with HIV results in a complex clinical disease known as acquired immune deficiency syndrome(AIDS), which may take ten years or more to develop.

HIV contains a protein that is called reverse transcriptase which is crucial for viral replication inside of T-cells. This eventually causes the immune system to shut down causing an extremely low tolerance to infectious diseases and eventually death.

Continue Reading »

Hepatitis B and C are becoming increasingly common infectious diseases in the United States. These diseases are spread through the blood and body fluids. People at greatest risk of contracting these diseases are those involved in the medical field, intravenous drug users, those who received blood transfusions before there was screening for these diseases, and people involved in unprotected sex. The jury is still out, but getting tattoos may also be a risk factor.

The drug of choice for the treatment of these strains of chronic hepatitis is interferon. Interferon has many side effects, and it can be quite an ordeal to go through six to eighteen months of treatment with this drug. For certain strains of hepatitis C,

the outcomes for interferon are not so good. Relapses are common.

Continue Reading »

Heroin is widely known as a highly addictive illegal opiate. This drug is derived from some morphine which is extracted from the seeds of poppy plants. Heroin is usually whitish or brown in color and has a very high street value. Much like cocaine, heroin is often cut with cheaper inert compounds to maximize profits for dealers. Sugar, starch, quinine and even powdered milk are all commonly used for cutting pure heroin. This uncertainty that always surrounds the purity of heroin is the cause for many fatalities that result from heroin overdoses. Many heroin users consume the drug intravenously to minimize waste, although this means of delivery has some inherent problems. The risk of infection and the transmission of

hepatitis HIV/AIDS and other diseases that are transmissible by blood can easily occur among heroin users. Usually this is due to sharing of needles and unsanitary equipment, thus prompting many governments around the world to instigate needle exchange programs.

Continue Reading »